The Youth Counselor works as scheduled in Healing Homes, providing supervision, support and direction to children fostering their positive growth and development; maintains a hazard free, clean and orderly household; prepares meals to conform to menus; completes all required logs, forms and reports, participates in meetings as scheduled; accompanies groups or individual children for outside activities or appointments as scheduled.

Primary Responsibilities and Essential Functions of Position:

Provides a warm, homelike atmosphere by establishing an individual relationship with each resident focusing on that resident's positive growth and development. Provide individualized care and supervision of each resident. Under the supervision of the Supervising staff, ensure an orderly schedule for the residents by supervising their daily activities: wake-up, school, or other program attendance, mealtime, study time, assigned Healing Home chores and bedtime; monitors individual appointments for each child to endure punctual attendance. Monitors each youth's physical well-being ensuring suitable clothing, adequate food, and all required medical treatments, including the dispensing of medication. Communicates and enforces Healing Home rules with each child; applies discipline as outlined in Healing Home procedures in a fair and objective manner. Accompanies and transports children to outside activities (including supervised recreation) and appointments as required. Maintains a hazard free, clean, and orderly household by promptly reporting maintenance problems to the supervisory staff and by completion of assigned household chores in a timely and efficient manner. Prepares meals and snacks under the assignment and direction of the Household Coordinator according to posted menus. Holds petty cash and other valuables of the home as assigned and dispenses according to Healing Home procedures. Completes all required paperwork such as incident, AWOL, medical, medication, and logs book reporting for the Healing Home. Participates in meetings as required and ensures that treatment/permanency plans are carried out daily. Accompany, supervise, and provide transportation for activities. Provide direct care coverage with flexible work hours. Organize and facilitate independent living skills groups in the residence. Record client progress in regard to independent living skills development Create a warm, caring, home-like environment. Participate in the service planning and review process. Deliver services in accordance with service goals and objectives. Employ trauma-sensitive practices. Accompany, supervise, and provide transportation (when necessary) for appointments and activities. Provide counseling and support. Ensure adherence to medication regimen. Provide crisis intervention and behavior management. Report incidents, occurrences, or untoward events to the supervisor as soon as they occur and complete appropriate paperwork. Complete all assigned documentation in a timely fashion. Assist in residence household duties (general cleaning, laundry, shopping, meal planning and preparation); train and supervise children in developing these skills. Attend supervision and meetings as scheduled. Distribute and reconcile petty cash. Fulfill any other tasks assigned by House Supervisor.

 

Additional Skills, Abilities and Characteristics:

Must comply with all agency policies and procedures. Must project emotional stability and authority in order to form an appropriate role model relationship with children. Must be open to trauma informed training and maintain a trauma informed environment. Ability to develop and maintain appropriate boundaries. Must demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of clients in crisis. Must demonstrate responsiveness to cultural differences and a commitment to the value of cultural competency.